Lamp mount



1942- N. E. WAHLBERG 2,291,777

LAMP MOUNT Filed Nov. 9, 1940 INVENTOR.

lV/L 3 [Q/ WAHZBf/Q 6' BY Q ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 4, 1942 LAMP MOUNT Nils Erik Wahlberg, Kenosha, Wis.,assignor to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Kenosha, W1s., a

corporation of Maryland Application November 9, 1940, Serial No. 364,961

Claims.

This invention relates to lamp mounts and has particular reference tomeans for mounting an electric lamp bulb on a vehicle in such a positionthat the bulb will illuminate the license plate of the vehicle and atthe same time illuminate a name plate or insignia on the vehicle.

It is an object of this invention to provide lamp mounting means whichwill illuminate the rear license plate by direct illumination andilluminate aname plate by indirect illumination.

It is another object of this invention to provide a lamp mount in whicha transparent name plate will be illuminated by light transmittedthrough the plate.

It is another object of this invention to provide a lamp mount in whichlight from a single bulb will be directed against a license plate andwill also be transmitted edgewise through a plate of transparentmaterial.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from aconsideration of the following description and claims and the attacheddrawing, of which there is one sheet, and in which Figure 1 representsan elevation of the lamp mount;

Figure 2 represents a vertical longitudinal section through the reardeck of an automobile showing the lamp mount and license plate inposition; and

Figure 3 represents a section taken along a plane indicated by the line3-3 in Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

The lamp mount consists of a base l6 which is conveniently formed by diecasting and is shaped to have a periphery which will seat against thecontour of the rear deck I2. The base [0 is provided with a flat face l4which terminates in a V-shaped shoulder I6. The face l4 defines anaperture [8 through which the wire is passed for supplying current to anelectric lamp bulb 22.

A generally triangular shaped base plate 24 is positioned on the flatface l4 and carries the cylindrical socket member 26 which is secured tothe base plate by bending the flanges 28 around the edges of an aperturein the base plate. Paper gaskets 29 are positioned on each side of thebase plate. A spring clip 30 is attached to the base plate in such afashion as to engage the base l6 to ground the socket 26 to the base.Positioned within the socket 26 is a coil spring 32 which urges aninsulating washer 34 outwardly of the socket. The washer 34 carries thecontact tip 36 of the wire 20 to engage the center or live contact ofthe lamp bulb 22. The socket 26 is provided with the familiar type ofnotch 38 for receiving the bayonet pin of the lamp bulb base to securethe lamp bulb in the socket.

A name plate 46 having a lower triangular shaped portion is positionedagainst the base plate 24 and secured to the base Iii-by means of screws42 which are counter sunk in the plate 46 and passed through the baseplate 24 to holes tapped in the flat face of the base Ill. The lowertriangular portion of the plate 46 defines a'conical aperture 44 whichis aligned with the socket 26 and through which the socket extends.'Attention is called to the fact that the aperture 44 widens away fromthe lamp bulb 22 so that light rays entering the flat face-of the plate46 from the bulb 22 will strike the beveled surface of the aperturewithin the plate 40 and be refracted outwardly toward the edges of theplate. The plate 46 is made of a transparent plastic material and ishighly polished on all surfaces and edges including the beveled surfaceof the hole 44. The material of the plate is characterized by the factthat it offers little resistance to light directed normally against oneofits surfaces but has high resistance to light striking a surfaceobliquely. Thus it will transmit light edgewise of the plate withoutmuch dissipation unless interrupted by another surface. The commercialproduct known as Lucite has these properties.

Positioned against the name plate 46 on the opposite side thereof fromthe base I0 is a thimble shaped reflector 46 which is provided with theflange 48 around the base thereof. Positioned within the reflector-46 isa frosted glass dome 50 which is drawn down against a cork gasket 52 bythe reflector 46. The reflector is secured to the lamp base [6 by meansof screws 54 passed through the flange 48, the name plate 46 and baseplate 24 to holes tapped in the case Ill. The reflector 46 is providedwith a slot 56 along the upper surface thereof just over the lamp bulb22 so that some of the light rays from the bulb will be directedupwardly against the license plate 58 which is secured in a bracket 60fastened to the back of the deck l2 by means of the cap screws 62. Thebase I6 is secured to the rear deck I2 by means of cap screws 64threaded into bosses formed on the inner surface of the base Ill. Thethickness of the name plate is such that its outer surface presented tothe rear of the car will be flush with the outer edge of the shoulderl6. The shoulder I6 is notched at 65 at the bottom of the V formed bythe shoulder so that water entering between the name plate and shoulderwill be drained off. The flange 48 of the reflector rests against theouter edge of the shoulder l6 and the outer surface of the name plate40. The underside of the reflector 46 is provided with a drain hole 61.

The surface of the name plate 40 next to the deck l2 and above the baseI!) is out out or deeply etched as at 66 to form any desired name orinsignia and the surfaces of the cut away portion thus formed arepainted while the remainder of the plate 40 is left clear and is highlypolished.

In operation, light rays from the bulb 22 will be directed through theslot .56 against the license plate 58 while other rays from the bulbwill pass backwardly through the flat face of the plate 40 where theywill strike the beveled surface 44 within the plate and be refractedthrough the plate as has been explained above. This will cause the plateto appear as a luminous member with the light interrupted by the paintedletters 66. As a result, the name out in the plate will stand outclearly. Attention is also called to the fact that when the deck [2 israised to gain access to the rear compartment of the vehicle, the edgeof the plate 40 will be presented to the rear of the vehicle and willform a luminous line which will serve to indicate the position of thevehicle to oncoming traflic.

While I have described my invention in some detail, I intend thisdescription to be an example only and not as a limitation of myinvention, to which I make the following claims:

1. In combination with an automobile having a license plate mountedthereon, a base mounted on said automobile, a plate of transparentmaterial mounted on said base and defining an aperture having atruncated conical surface, insignia on said plate, a lamp socket securedto said base and extending through said aperture, a lamp bulb in saidsocket and spaced from the face of said transparent plate adjacent tothe smaller end of said aperture, and a reflector positioned around saidbulb and socket and abutting against said plate around said aperture,said reflector defining an aperture through which light from said bulbis directed against said license plate.

2. In combination with an automobile, a base having a lamp bulbextending therefrom, a reflector positioned around said lamp bulb andsecured to said base, and a plate of transparent material havinginsignia formed thereon positioned between said reflector and said baseand extending beyond the edges thereof, said transparent plate defininga beveled surface on the opposite side of said plate from said bulb.

3. In combination with an automoble, a base having a lamp bulb extendingtherefrom, a reflector positioned around said lamp bulb and secured tosaid base, and a plate of transparent material positioned between saidreflector and said base and extending beyond the edges thereof, saidplate having insignia cut in one surface thereof, said transparent platebeing offset from said bulb and having a beveled surface on the oppositeside of said plate from said bulb.

4. In combination with an automobile, a base secured to said automobile,a lamp socket extending from said base, a plate of transparent plasticmaterial having insignia formed thereon positioned against said base andaround said lamp socket, said plate defining an aperture having atruncated conical surface surrounding said socket, a lamp bulb in saidsocket remote from the face of said plate forming the smaller end ofsaid conical aperture, a glass dome positioned around said lamp bulb andsocket, a deformable gasket positioned between the end of said dome andsaid plate, and a dome-shaped reflector positioned around said glassdome and secured to said base, said reflector being arranged to clampsaid glass dome against said gasket.

5. An automotive signal light comprising a base, a socket extending tothe rear of said base, a plate of transparent plastic material havinginsignia formed thereon and defining a forwardly opening, beveledaperture positioned against said base with said aperture positionedaround said socket, a lamp positioned in said socket to the rearofsaidplate, a transparent dome positioned over said lamp and said socket,and a reflector positioned over said dome and secured to said base,said-reflector being arranged to seal said dome against said plate andto secure said plate to said base, said reflector defining an apertureadjacent to said lamp and a drain aperture at the lower portion thereof.

NILS ERIK WAI-ILBERG.

